How has the introduction of Minimalism affected the thoughts provoked by a piece of artwork? Art and design are creative processes, in which ideas are communicated in a visual manner. The emergence of Minimalism in the 1960s to early 70s allowed artists and designers across a range of creative fields to explore new methods of communicating ideas visually, experimenting with the idea of stripping the design back to it’s necessary elements to expose the essence or identity of the subject. This movement allowed creativity to branch out to work that was open to wider interpretations for a viewer, involved few creative processes and allowed each viewer to draw their own completely individual response to it. Many artists and designers continued to work within the Minimalist genre since it’s emergence; utilising current and modern trends and technology but still producing work which was successful in communicating the intended message. However, some designers choose to create very complex pieces with many shapes, colours, forms and techniques layered on top of one another, forming a complex composition, but do these additional components manipulate what the viewer feels in response to the work? Or do they make the piece more difficult to interpret and overload the viewer with visual information?
Sometimes, designers combine varying levels of complexity, creating pieces that appear intricate, but are technically very simple or vice versa. This idea is present in the design of the Guggenheim Museum. Designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, the exterior has a very solid, layered geometric form, whilst the interior incorporates a similar use of geometric spirals and circular forms, but is much more abstracted than the exterior. Despite this difference, the interior and exterior complement through careful consideration of colour scheme, shapes and forms. An investigation into how complexity can enhance a piece of art or design will provide an deeper insight into how artworks are used to provoke different responses from an audience and how I can use this to improve how my own designs influence an audience. Studying prominent creative minds from a range of creative disciplines such as Damien Hirst, Mark Weaver, Radim Malinic (Brand Nu) and Thomas Heatherwick will aid my understanding of how each artist/ designer carefully manipulates the intricacy in a composition to achieve successful creative outcomes. Damien Hirst (born 1965) experiments with a variety of installation, painting, sculpture and drawing to explore the relationship between art, life and death. Much of his work investigates and challenges contemporary belief systems, and explores the uncertainties and tensions of the human experience, focusing on the ideas of plutocracy (government by the wealthy), pharmaceutical procedure and purposelessness. Many of his works are influenced strongly by the idea of minimalism, to create an outcome which is more focused on the concept than the
“The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living” is an example of a piece that is very minimal aesthetically but allows for a large range of interpretations. The shark could symbolise brute strength or will power, completely exposed from every angle, like a nerve, creating a sense of vulnerability or pity about it. To further this emotion, the rigid, geometric frame provides a strong resistance to contain the raw power encased within. On creating the piece, Hirst commented in the exhibition guide book, “If I can get one in a big enough space, actually in liquid, big enough to frighten you, that you feel you’re in there with it, it would work.” Having experienced the work in an exhibition, the sheer size of it creates the sense of primal fear that Hirst wanted to invoke; despite the fact that I knew the shark couldn’t do anything. There is a strong contrast between natural and geometric form, possibly provoking a reaction of containment or capture and humanity interfering with natural lifecyles. This piece benefits from the minimal aesthetic of the formaldehyde, acting as a negative space that works around the shark, emphasizing the natural curves of it and showcasing the entire specimen- which is what makes this piece so effective- and allows a smooth transition of tone from the shark’s colour to the pure white of the frame. The Spot Paintings are one of Hirst’s most recognisable series, emerging from an attempt to create “a structure where I could lay colour down, be in control of it rather than it controlling me.” This series again is very minimal in execution and conceptual in character. Each spot is a different colour, each possibly representing an emotion, adding a human influence to the work. Seeing this in an exhibition strengthened this idea, as the canvas was almost like a large mirror, casting a reflection of the audience, and showing them how complex human nature can be; with all of these feelings layered on top of one another. Each spot is the same size and separated by equal space, creating an orderly structure in a piece that could easily become chaotic and visually grotesque. There is a strong use of geometric shape as well, suggesting the idea that people conform to social and political views and trends in the 21st century, that we have lost our individuality and personal opinion. This structure is central to maintaining the minimal aesthetic which makes this piece successful- especially when combined with the complex themes of self reflection that lie beneath. Hirst integrates Minimalism into his work for a particular effect- it allows a viewer to critically consider each element of the composition before coming to a conclusive analysis of the work. The brutal simplicity of the first piece contrasts nicely with the benign nature of the spot paintings, showing a diversity in his manipulation of compositions. Hirst utilises minimalism to great effect to allow an audience to make their own deeply personal response, and to allow for a more intimate connection to the work through their own inferences.
Thomas Heatherwick (born 1970) is an English designer known for his innovative use of engineering and materials in public sculptures and monuments. Like Damien Hirst, his work is strongly influenced by organic forms and natural phenomena, as evidenced in his designs of the Rolling Bridge and the UK Pavillion for the Shanghai Expo. I chose to look at his design work as the shapes and forms used are influenced by Minimalism, but through meticulous repetition creates compositions which are intricate. His studio has been recognised for innovative work across a range of creative fields, including architecture, sculpture, three dimensional and furniture design and urban infrastructure. Heatherwick explores the thresholds between standard design and through studying three-dimensional forms; he has earned an international reputation for creating stunning pieces across a range of creative fields. The B of the Bang was a 56 metre high sculpture composed of 180 giant steel spikes, although the model displayed here is made of wood. It was constructed outside of the City of Manchester stadium to commemorate the 2002 commonwealth games. As the name suggests, it has quite a cosmic aesthetic, similar to a black hole or a space nebula, it seems to be simplified though, to a complex line structure; possibly to indicate the massiveness of the Big Bang, that we cannot comprehend what it would look like, supported by it’s true size. The piece seems to be a mixture of complexity and minimalism, created by a monochromatic colour ensemble, which emphasises the tone on the structure, and contrasted by the complex composition of the spikes. The fact that the spikes extend from the centre is interesting, almost as if it is a gravitational field, looking for things to pull into it. Seeing it on display allowed me to appreciate the physical depth of the structure, it was as if it were extending beyond the constraints of it’s display case and extending towards me. The work is an unusual combination of simplicity and complex creative thought that results in a very successful three dimensional piece. The 2012 Olympic cauldron (right) was composed on 206 stems, each with a copper leaf at the top. When it was lit, each of the leaves arose until it was vertical and converged in the centre, forming a cauldron shape. The structure itself has a very floral aesthetic, and mechanically moved as if it were an organic form of some sort; all giving the illusion as if it was alive. Unity was one of the main themes in this piece, represented by “a giant kinetic sculpture in the centre of the stadium that symbolises the coming together in peace of 204 nations”, one of the staples of the Olympic games. After seeing it in an exhibition, I have begun to think more, not only about what a creative piece could look like and work when completed, but how each component of the piece works alone and contributes to the final outcome. Heatherwick has successfully created a piece in which function and aesthetic marvel is achieved, which is unusual as one is often sacrificed for the other. The piece has strong minimal influences, but is constructed to appear complex to the viewer; the fact that the structure appears to be constantly reflected to create the symmetrical form. This does slightly manipulate the viewer’s thoughts towards organic forms, but allows for variation in what the form may be, some may think it is tranquil, while others may say it is reminiscent of something aggressive. Heatherwick’s work is successful in combining Minimalist influence with a distinctive and complex composition, which allows a technically simple idea to become intricate when realised and developed.
Mark Weaver is a New York based graphic designer, who has produced work for a number of high profile clients, including Wired Magazine, Hewlett Packard and Stella Artois. I chose to look at his work as I wanted to focus on a graphic designer whose body of work has benefitted greatly from Minimalism, and allows his designs to focus on a concept as much as the aesthetic. His designs revolve mainly around printing methods, creating compositions that are ideal to be used in editorial publications and commercial material. His prints usually explore ideas of humanity’s interactions with the natural world around us, often exploring anthropomorphic forms and ideas. This allows him to be very experimental when developing his compositions and exploring more abstracted ideas, breaking down preconceptions of natural form, shape and narratives, which would be very difficult to execute without influence from Minimalism. The “North American Wildlife Series” is a series of prints that demonstrates a clear idea of humanity’s links and interactions with wildlife. It is a series of three prints depicting three animals native to North America, an elk, a ram, and a bison. The choice of these three animals is interesting, as they represent different characteristics and attributes in Native American culture; the Elk is a symbol of nobility, pride, majesty and agility, the ram symbolises strength and determination, while the buffalo and bison represent healing, good fortune and survival. I think that these animals were chosen specifically for this, as these are characteristics that humans respect and desire, deepening the link between the nature and people. The composition is minimal, with the defining shape being the animal itself, increasing it’s dominance in the work and allows the eye to focus on interesting natural shapes rather than geometric ones. Everything else occurs inside the constraints of the animal, increasing the depth of the composition, which contrasts with the linear, negative space surrounding the animal. The colour palette maintains the minimal aesthetic of the designs, and adds a hint of surrealism to the prints, as these colours are very unnatural for the animals but the use of primary colours again underpins the idea that animals and nature are pivotal in the evolution and growth of humanity. This series of prints lack intricacy, and this is important to the success of the work, as it allows people to make their own inferences into the importance of animals in society, and avoids the viewer being overpowered by visual information. This is achieved through the carefully considered composition and colour palette, and a thorough development process which filtered out any unnecessary visual information. Minimalism has allowed this outcome to remain focused on a concept rather than be preoccupied with being visually overactive, and it becomes a critical reflection of a topical issue that still exists in a 21st century society.
“Beetle” is a part of Mark Weaver’s “Make Something Cool Everyday.” This print is more abstracted and conceptual than the North American wildlife series, it also utilises more creative thought when considering the composition. The choice of the beetle is interesting, as the beetle symbolises creation, regeneration and resurrection in ancient egyptian belief, it is clear that Mark Weaver chose this as the subject to distort, and abstract. The beetle again is the defining shape in the composition, with all other components working inside of it. The beetle has been cropped and distorted with geometric pattern, removing parts of it and exposing it; making it vulnerable and pitiful. The focal object inside of the beetle is a man, which is intriguing, as if humanity had tried to harness the mythical restoring attributes of the beetle, but in the process has destroyed it. This act defines humanity, as humans are the only species that would harm or destroy another for a reason other than survival. The composition has a organic feel due to the natural shape, although partly obscured and dismantled, which is still prominent. There is a block of text added to this composition; following the geometric lines of the missing parts of the beetle, implying that language is prominently human. The colour palette is basic and muted, creating harmony within the composition. There is mainly secondary and tertiary colour used in this print, suggesting that the purity of the beetle has been tarnished by human interference. This print is minimal and shares aesthetic similarities with the “North America Wildlife series”, but subtle differences in the use of colour and composition alters the ideas and thoughts provoked by this piece, including a stronger human presence and more abstracted expression in the composition to allow our minds to fill in more assumptions about shape and form than in the first series of prints. Mark Weavers work has shown through the execution of these compositions that carefully considered and refined work is an important component in communicating a concept, and this in turn adjusts the responses provoked by the viewer, as they take every shape, form, colour and decision concerning layout into account before provide a critical and informed response about each piece. In my own illustration, I utilised a similar thought process to Mark Weaver to create a piece which had a concentrated composition, the colour palette and geometric shape use combined with the natural form of the birds. I wanted to create an explosive feel of depth in the work, but keep it simple at the same time. I think that it is successful as it channels a similar consideration for every aspect of the composition, and has direct influences of minimal design- in the colour use, the composition and the limited number of shapes.
Radim Malinic aka Brand Nu is an award winning graphic designer and illustrator based in London. I chose to look at his work as it is very complex, and to see how the thoughts and responses provoked by a more intricate composition differ from that of a much simpler piece. He works with leading household brands and upcoming businesses to establish their product advertisement, brand design and illustrative prints. He is one of the most successful and prolific commercial illustrators working today, with a creative output that is “routinely cited by industry professionals and new comers alike, as being bold, bright and always beautifully produced.� The compositions of his designs are very complex and usually delves into human desires and luxuries, exploring technology and fashion. His work is abstracted, bold and explores geometric shape as a way of communicating the idea of necessity versus consumerism, through an extravagant series of objects in one composition, most of which are not needed, but are there to add a visual impact on a viewer. Malinic created branding and advertising material for QV Melbourne, masterfully utilisng computer processes to create attractive, explosive outcomes. The typography used is very intricate, comprising of bold lettering surrounded by a conglomerate of shapes, lines and colours. This allows a structure to be created from the combination of so many elements that our eyes can work around and absorb several forms, edges and contrasts. The combination of so many elements does overload the eye with visual information, and this can create inclinations towards thinking that this brand is as spontaneous as the advertising suggests, but for a brief like this, a concept is not paramount- there is a greater emphasis on a visually pleasing and dynamic outcome. The colours used in these advertising campaigns are vivid, creating a dynamic explosion aesthetic, but the photographic poster uses a more limited palette, possibly to emphasise line and form, but more likely to bring the female figure to the front of the composition, making her more dominant than any other object in the composition. Although the first composition seems very botanic, the second seems to have a more cosmic feel, influenced by gravitational fields or planetary orbits. All of the elements in these compositions have a very polished finish, which provokes a thought about the texture and how it would feel to touch and move around this composition, furthering the perception of depth in the work. Malinic manages to manipulate the formal elements of graphic design to create highly complex and intricate designs that have almost obvious implications. Compared with the other work I have analysed, these works are focused more on a dynamic aesthetic over a concept, and do not allow for a critical study of each aspect of the composition to make an informed response but instead demands for a response to the composition as one entity. If minimalism were to influence this piece, it would take away the extravagant nature of this piece, and make the brand seem less engaging visually.
Minimalism in art and design has allowed an artist to apply more abstracted imagery and ideas to allow a more prominent concept to be conveyed, and it has allowed an audience to apply more thought to the analysis of a piece, and the reduction in visual elements lets a viewer form a more informed and critical response to the work by focusing intensely on each component that exists in the composition. Through thorough analysis of the selected artists and designers, an application of Minimalism to a piece of work transforms each component into a significant metaphor which forms part of a larger concept; in Damien Hirst’s “The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living”, the shark is the embodiment of raw power, constantly suppressed by a geometric frame which wouldn’t normally match the strength of a beast such as this. In Mark Weaver’s “North American Wildlife Series”, the animals are a representation of a specific set of qualities which a human desires, so the piece resembles a mirror which reflects the viewer in the best possible way, and encourages them to make a change to become this vision. Thomas Heatherwick’s designs use forms and shapes derived from minimal influence, but manipulates and repeats them in a composition to produce work such as the Olympic Cauldron, where each petal and stem represents a nation, producing work which has a complex nature to it but also allows for critical analysis of each individual component. This has enhanced my understanding of my own work, making me think more critically about how I construct a composition, what each component represents in a composition and how Minimalism can make my work embody a concept as well as communicate ideas visually. Bibliography http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minimalism http://www.damienhirst.com/biography/read-more-about-the-artist Damien Hirst- Tate modern (Exhibition guide book) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Heatherwick http://www.heatherwick.com/about/ http://www.heatherwick.com/2012-olympic-cauldron/ http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/exhibitions/heatherwick-studio/ http://mrkwvr.com/ http://www.brandnu.co.uk/about/